


What Took You So Long?

by Persiflage



Series: Skoulson RomFest 2k16 Redux [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: 6 Months Later Fic, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Time, Kissing, Mentions of Daisy/Lincoln, Nightmares, Older Man/Younger Woman, On the Run, POV Phil Coulson, Phil Taking Care of Daisy, Skoulson RomFest 2k16 REDUX, Woman on Top, quake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 09:07:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7526770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil's the best at taking care of Daisy when she's too Quake'd out to take care of herself properly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Took You So Long?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zauberer_sirin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zauberer_sirin/gifts).



> Set some time vaguely after/around the '6 Months Later' period of the S3 finale. Written for the Skoulson RomFest 2k16 REDUX for the Day 3 prompt 'What took you so long?'

"What took you so long?" 

Daisy's sharp greeting startles him – he hasn't been expecting to see her.

"Sorry," he says apologetically. "I had no idea you'd be here." He closes the safehouse door, then locks it, before turning to her, the paper sack of groceries still resting in the crook of his left arm. "You are on the run, after all."

He tries not to stare at her as he speaks, but he still takes in the short-cropped dark blonde hair, the exhausted droop of her shoulders, and the rumpled state of her clothing: she looks worn down.

"Sorry Phil," she says, her voice low and sounding almost defeated.

He shakes his head, sets down the sack, then approaches her cautiously; he wants to touch her, more to hold her, but he's conscious of the fact that she might not want that from him.

"I stink," she tells him when he gets within touching distance.

"I don't suppose you've had regular access to showers, the life you've been living," he observes, hoping she'll understand that he doesn't care.

She shakes her head slightly, then takes the two steps necessary to close the distance between them, and almost collapses into his arms. She makes a sound that seems half a sob, half a sigh, then loosely wraps her arms around him. He sighs quietly himself, and tries not to consider how much embracing Daisy feels like coming home.

"What do you need?" he asks softly, his left arm securely across her back, and his right hand in her hair at the back of her head. "What can I do for you?"

"Just hold me for now," she mumbles against his neck, and he tightens his left arm subtly.

"Gladly," he whispers, and feels her go almost limp in his arms. He's not sure he should find it reassuring – and on one level he doesn't, it seems very alarming that she's feeling so beaten down – but it is reassuring that she still trusts him enough for this.

After maybe 15 minutes, she stirs and shifts to lift her head, looking at him with a brave attempt at a smile.

"Thanks. I – I needed that," she says, her tone shy, and her expression guarded, as if she considers it a weakness that the woman known as Quake should ever admit to this need, even in private to the man who's known her for so long and through so many changes and upheavals.

"Me too," he says emphatically, then he feels a blush beginning to burn the tips of his ears as he admits, "I've dreamt about that."

To his relief she smiles, as if charmed by the admission.

"Do you mind if I grab a shower?"

"Help yourself," he tells her. "In fact, if you prefer, have a bath – there's plenty of hot water, enough for a good long soak if it'll help."

She swallows, looking as if she might cry, so he presses his lips to her brow, then gently pulls away from her.

"I'll make dinner," he tells her.

"Phil." She chokes out his name, as if his kindness is unbearable, and maybe it is, but he hopes she can bear it – she needs to eat (as does he), and he's happy to cook for her, he always is.

He lets her head upstairs, assuming that since she had let herself into the house, she'll have reconnoitred already, and picks up the sack of groceries, carrying them through to the kitchen. He finds himself glad that he bought plenty of food, even though he's on his own for the next 48 hours since Mack's gone back to base. Of course, he'd happily have given Daisy all the food and made do with breadsticks if necessary.

By the time dinner's ready Daisy still hasn't reappeared, and it occurs to him she might have fallen asleep in the bath, so he goes upstairs and knocks on the bathroom door.

"Daisy? Dinner's ready."

"You can come in," she tells him, and there's a note in her voice that he can't place so he pushes the door ajar to see she's sitting bundled up in his bathrobe, which he'd left on the hook on the back of the door; she's sitting on the stool in the corner by the wash hand basin.

"Everything okay?" he asks softly, fairly certain that something is 'off', but unclear about why he feels that.

She glances over at him and he finds himself drawn towards her, although a moment ago he'd fully intended to remain in the doorway. 

"What is it?" he asks softly as he realises that she's been staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Just wondering if there's any trace left of that girl I once was, the girl you first knew back when I was just Skye, the mysterious 084."

He steps in behind her and lightly rests his hands on her shoulders, ready to step away from her if his touch is unwanted.

"Daisy," he says softly. "Skye is still right there at the core of you. Quake wouldn't be the superhero she is without the kindness, the compassion, and the care for others that was at the core of the young woman named Skye whom I had pulled from her van in an LA back alley."

He's pretty alarmed when her reaction to this is to burst into tears as he finishes speaking; she turns quickly on the stool, then lurches to her feet and throws her arms around him with such suddenness that he's almost knocked off his own feet.

"Daisy," he says worriedly, wrapping his arms around her as she sobs wildly against his chest. "It's okay. You're okay. It's okay," he repeats helplessly, aware that it's not really true.

She tries to speak, but her words are incoherent amidst her sobs, and although he does his best to calm and comfort her, the emotional storm seems unlikely to end quickly.

"C'mon," he says gently, "you need some rest." He scoops her into his arms, suppressing both a wince and a grunt – she's not heavy, but even a year later, his leg's still not 100%.

He carries her into the master bedroom and sets her down on the bed. Her sobs are beginning to subside, and he hopes she'll be able to sleep, but as he starts to move away from her, she reaches out and clasps his wrist. "Stay. Please," she whispers in such a broken tone that he can't even consider refusing her request.

"Okay." He pulls off his shoes, then settles alongside her on the bed. He wonders if she'd prefer to borrow the sweatpants and t-shirt he usually sleeps in, rather than sleeping in the bathrobe, but she's already moving closer so she can snuggle up against him, so he doesn't say anything. He wraps his arms around her and hopes that she'll feel safe enough to rest.

Ten minutes or so later he guesses he has his answer to that because she's sound asleep in his arms, her body pressed tightly against his. He has a brief moment of regret for their uneaten dinner, but knows that Daisy needs rest more than food right now.

He's not entirely sure how long she sleeps – he only knows that he fell asleep some time after her – but it's nearing midnight when she wakes him in the throes of a nightmare. He manages to get the lamp on the nightstand switched on, then he wakes her up; it takes two attempts, she's so deeply asleep despite the nightmare, and then she's sobbing in his arms again, though more quietly this time.

"Daisy." He presses his lips to her brow, rubbing a hand in circles on her back, trying to calm and comfort her. He wishes he didn't feel so helpless in the face of her suffering and misery – he wants to help her.

"I'm sorry," she mutters into his neck some time later.

"Don't be," he tells her gently. "You're allowed to react like any other person after the traumatic year, well two years now, that you've had."

"I should be stronger," she says, her tone a bit insistent.

"Daisy, you're the strongest person I know."

She heaves a sigh, then lifts her head to look him in the eye. "Why do you do that?" she demands, and he realises she's annoyed, though he's not sure why.

"Do what?" he asks in confusion.

"Always validate me. Always believe in me. You shouldn't be on my side. When you saw me tonight, you should've called Talbot straight away and let him know I was here. Instead you looked after me." She glares at him. "You always stand up for me, always encourage me. You value me. Why?"

He gives a helpless sort of shrug. "From the first time we met – no, from before we met – I knew you were a good person and that you had a lot of potential."

"What do you mean, 'before we met'?" she asks looking baffled.

"Well I listened to your podcasts before we met – you may remember I told you that we'd used them to help us to track you down."

"I didn't – " She stops, swallows, then continues, "You never specifically said that you'd personally listened to them."

"I did," he says simply. "They intrigued me – you intrigued me. So much passion and idealism, so much determination to make the world a better place." He feels his face heating up, but continues anyway, "You reminded me of me when I was young and Fury first recruited me into SHIELD. Although it turned out you're a far better person than I am."

She smiles – and he's surprised, but also gratified, to see her smile. "I bet you were such a good boy, Phil." Her tone is light, teasing even, and he's so pleased that she feels able to tease him that it doesn't bother him that she's picked him to tease. 

"I had my rebellious phase," he tells her, a little defensively.

"Yeah?" Her expression is sceptical.

"I was a punk," he tells her, trying for a lofty tone.

She actually laughs at that. "Oh I wish I'd seen baby punk Phil," she says.

He scowls at her, and opens his mouth to retort, but her mouth is on his – Daisy is kissing him, which wipes the scowl off his face, but leaves him severely surprised. What's even more surprising is that it isn't a one-off – she doesn't stop – instead she presses her body against his and deepens her kisses. He kisses her back – to do otherwise is unthinkable – but a small corner of his brain is wondering just what she's doing.

Eventually she pulls her mouth from his, looking him in the eye, and he notices there's an amused look in her own eyes. "You look like a startled baby deer, Phil," she says.

"Well I am startled," he says quietly. "I can honestly say I never expected this."

"Never wanted it, either?" she asks, and he swallows, looking at her with his jaw clenched, and she reaches out to touch it on the right side. "That's a bit of a tell with you, Phil," she says, smirking at him.

"A tell?"

She nods. "I've seen that muscle jump in your jaw before, usually when you're trying to hide your emotions."

He loosens his jaw, takes a deeper breath, then quietly says, "I have wanted it, but I told myself it couldn't happen. That it wouldn't be fair to you."

She shakes her head slightly. "You're the best man I've ever known, Phil. Certainly a better man than Lincoln. You've never been anything but supportive – I said it before, you value me. Is it so surprising that I'd fall for you?"

"I – " He's not quite sure how to respond because it does surprise him a bit – Daisy's so extraordinary, and always has been, and he's so very ordinary.

"Phil." She draws him back from his wandering thoughts with a light touch of her fingers to his jaw.

"Daisy," he says, and slides his arms around her, pulling her closer again, before he kisses her. "I want you." The admission is a bit scary, but also thrilling.

"Good," she says emphatically. She sits up, discarding the bathrobe, and he gulps at the sight of her powerful shoulders, and her bare breasts.

"Daisy," he breathes, reaching for her.

"Uh-uh, Phil," she says, smirking, and reaches for the belt on his jeans.

He groans softly as she begins to undress him, and once he's completely naked, she pauses a moment, giving him a long, considering look.

"Do you know how sexy you are?" she demands, sounding breathless.

"Me?" he asks disbelievingly. "You're the sexy one."

She laughs a little, then climbs over him, and he clasps her hips as she lowers herself onto his erection.

"Fuck, Phil," she gasps as she sinks down. "You're big."

He raises his eyebrows at her, and she bites her bottom lip, then smirks. "Go on," she teases, "be smug. You're bigger than anyone else I've been with."

He chuckles. "My ego doesn’t need to be stroked."

She leans forward to kiss him, and he moans at the rocking motion. She grins, then leans back before rocking forwards again. She slowly picks up speed and his hands tighten their grasp on her hips as she rides him to a climax, her orgasm coming mere moments before his own.

Afterwards she slumps down on top of him, and he wraps his arms around her torso as she nuzzles the side of his neck.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah Phil, I'm good."

"Oh, you're better than good," he tells her.

She laughs softly as she lifts her head from his shoulder before she kisses him. "You're pretty good yourself," she says, then asks, "Was dinner ruined?"

He starts laughing. "I don't honestly know. Do you want to find out?"

She nods. "It might not be very sexy, but I'm hungry."

He kisses her quick and hard. "You're never not sexy," he reassures her. "But shall we go and see?"

She pulls on the bathrobe and he pulls on his sweats and t-shirt, then they make their way downstairs to the kitchen. He's fairly sure they've just over-complicated their lives unnecessarily, but he can't bring himself to care – they're together, and he's never felt happier than he does right now.


End file.
